Rosca Horsemanship

15/10/2025

"Train your horse with respect, not for respect".

I am hot on the terminology used around horses because of the misconceptions that arise in the community as a result.

Respect implies to have regard for someone's wishes, feelings or rights; this is widely mis-used in reference to horses, who are commonly said to have a lack-of-respect, or dis-regard, for the human handler.

We know enough about the function of the equine brain to know this is not their thought pattern, and a horses responds in relation to what they know, what they don't, and how they feel.

Instead of training your horse to respect you, train in a way that is respectful to your horse.

14/10/2025

The BRAND NEW website is now LIVE! 🎉

This year has been quite transformative on many levels, and the complete redesign of a new site over the Summer has been part of that process.

So, what can you now expect to find online?

👉 Learn a little more about Ross, his own unique way with horses and his values.

👉Find out what Ross’s ‘whole-horse’ approach is all about and how he can support you.

👉 Look up what Ross has to offer, from dynamic coaching to integrated bodywork for horse AND humans.

👉 Check out both holistic and manual therapies offered to horse and rider

👉 The latest events from Rosca Horsemanship including clinics, workshops and collaborations

👉 The new online booking system for select clinics and workshops.

👉 Have a read through the regularly updated blog for a little light and informative reading on the darker nights.

👉 Sign-up to the new subscription to receive regular bi-monthly updates from Ross's mailing list and be first to be notified about new events, updates and training tips.

👉 The online shop will launch later in the year, with a VERY special project releasing online in 2026..

Head over to http://www.rosscooperofficial.co.uk to check it out!

13/10/2025

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend a four day workshop with Liza Kimble on the second module of her equine fascia and trauma release workshop.

Fascia has always been a real area of interest for me over the past few years, and over the four days we gained a much deeper insight into the science and anatomy of fascia and the integral role that is plays in our bodies system, from cellular development to the effects on the nervous system and it’s relationship with trauma.

The multiple layers we explored during this time, from physical to spiritual, and the practical skills and insight gained to apply to both equines and humans has been exceptionally valuable.

Thank you to Liza for creating and holding the space in the way that she does!

I have reflected on the past 18 months and how fortunate I have been to form friendships, receive mentorship and connect with professionals; for me it is not just surrounding yourselr with people that make you a better horseman, but that make you a better human, too.

I feel each person presents at the right time in a persons life, and no matter where in the world a person may be, it is reassuring to feel there are others out there that share the same values, openness and desire to find and share something better.

11/10/2025

When an 8.30pm finish looks like this 🤌

10/10/2025

Why do we get so combative?

Some might say as humans, we are on the 'predatory' end of the scale which makes us more included to 'fight' than flight.

However, I feel it goes quite a bit deeper than that, all the way to a cellular level.

The world we live in promotes dysregulation of our own nervous systems and many of us live subconsciously out of balance; from emotional regulation that we may not have learned from parental figures as children to the influx of information in the media all the way through to an inflammatory diet affecting our gut health, these accumulating factors combine to give us

Feeling unsafe within a situation, or unsure of what to do, may be predisposing us to respond to our horses in a defensive way in tandem with social conditioning promoting ou behaviour and nervous system to be primed for a more sympathetic response,

If we ourselves can bring awareness to this, we can begin to change our perspective, and therefore our application and approach.

Piece by piece, we can change the way we interact and work with our horses to one that is more sympathetic in approach than sympathetic in tone, to both them and us.

Doing so may allow us to enter a while new level of consciousness and wholeness in out lives.

And again, all thanks to the horse.

09/10/2025

Check out what we have in store for this years Winter Workshop series at Derby College Equestrian Centre

🐴Positive Reinforcement Workshop

'Learn about the application of positive reinforcement in the training of equines, learning theory and it's application, motivation and reinforcement, contraindications and how to safely set-up positive reinforcement'

🕡 06.30pm
📅 Monday 10th November 2025
📍Derby College Equestrian Centre

🐴The Equine Body

'In this workshop we will be focusing on the equine body, how it works and the implications and importance of muscular skeletal health in the training, including interactive exercises which will get you more familiar with the equine body'

🕡 06.30pm
📅 Monday 8th December 2025
📍Derby College Equestrian Centre

🐴The Connection Piece

'During this workshop we will be focusing n the nervous system, what influences the equine nervous system, what influences the human nervous system and guided self-regulation exercises'.

🕡 06.30pm
📆 Monday 19th January 2025
📍Derby College Equestrian Centre

To book tickets and for further information, check out the events section on the website and page; the link can be found in the comments 👇

Tickets are available to book up to 7 days prior to the event date to gauge activity numbers.

If you are interested in hosting a private or public clinic, demonstration or workshop within the UK or abroad with Rosca Horsemanship in 2026, please get in touch.

08/10/2025

My product review for Your Horse Magazine of the Rebel Pro western boots from Durango Boot is now online.

Looking for a stylish, comfortable new boot to add to your collection? Check this out!

Your Horse's tester tries the Durango Men's Rebel Pro Western Boots and finds them ideal for regular, long-term use.

07/10/2025

Meal preparation can be key to a healthy diet when on the road!

Long days, remote areas and dietary requirements make food prep for the road an important part of the week, especially if you are in to your health and fitness, therefore I try and make it as easy and straight forward to do.

I am quite a clean eater and see 'food as fuel', so I try and prepare a few meals (yes, multiples!) to take out with me on the road that see me through the day that tick the boxes and strike a healthy balance!

So for today, rice and tuna salad with goji berries, cashew nuts and there are probably some protein shakes tucked away somewhere!

Probably not the most entertaining of posts but an important part of freelance life non-the-less!

A post about how many courses I have for breakfast may be more entertaining.. 😅

05/10/2025

Last week was Tommy's first session working on his confidence with clippers.

Whether a preference to eu-natural or you routinely clip for comfort, building a horses confidence with the sensation of clipping can come in handy for a variety of reasons, such as medical care, espeically for the heavier breeds.

Working with different behavioural modalities, I felt approaching this with positive reinforcement for Tommy would be the best way forward for him, but regardless whether I would of applied + or -, the breaking down of the exercise would of remained the same.

By the end of the session Tommy was pretty comfortable acknowledging and approaching the clippers, allowing them to touch him and track down the body all the way down to his hooves.

We ended the session on a very positive note with both forelimbs, before leaving him to consolidate with hay! 🤠

04/10/2025

It requires the right team to support the whole-horse.

From horse owners and carers to dental technicians and veterinary care, each member of the wheel supports the horse, and to support the whole horse we need to do that together.

No one is lesser because we all should be working together.

03/10/2025

"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make"
- Jane Goodall

One of my passions in life is wildlife conservation, therefore I was sad to hear of the passing of Jane Goodall on October 1st.

Jane made a huge contribution to conservation and the natural world, and each of us can make a difference in the world, in our own way, to all areas of life.

It is our choice to what that will be.